Gamling

Recommended music: The Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter

Take a gamble this #TolkienThursday as we’re taking a look at the ToyBiz The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers Gamling!

The warrior Gamling was a loyal soldier of Rohan and a member of King Theoden’s royal guard. During the Battle of Helm’s Deep, Gamling is seen nearby Theoden in multiple scenes, acting as his primary bodyguard. Gamling is experienced with both a lance and a sword, which was useful not just for defending Helm’s Deep, but was also valuable during the years of defending Rohan from both Orcs and Wildmen. Both The Two Towers film and Return of the King change up Gamling’s role a bit as the character becomes an amalgamation of multiple book characters, and doesn’t fight on either the Deeping Wall or in the Glittering Caves as he did in the book.

This Gamling “In Rohan Armor with Weapons” figure was released in the third wave of Trilogy carded series figures for The Two Towers in 2003. Contrary to the packaging name, the figure only comes with a sword and sheath, omitting the lance and shield seen with other Rohan figure releases.

The sculpt and paint are detailed as expected, but the head could be any old man of Rohan and doesn’t bear a great likeness to New Zealand actor Bruce Hopkins, who played Gamling. In fact, I’ve got one normal picture of Gamling here in a scene where he’s telling everyone they are abandoning their home to shelter at Helm’s Deep, and there is a cool board head fountain in the foreground. I also have a second picture that is more how I’ve had Gamling displayed for years, ready for battle with a borrowed Rohan helmet, lance, and shield, and not just holding Theoden’s armor as he can get dressed on his own.😄

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